“I grew up always seeing the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, but I never dreamed I’d be in it because I never saw anybody who looked like me in it.”

Right: Kate Wasley

Age: 23

Size: 12 US

Height: 5’11” / 180 cm

Measurements: 41 / 32 / 47, 104 / 81 / 119 cm

A quote from Kate about her disordered eating:

“I was always the biggest friend, and not seeing myself represented in the media had an effect, because if your body type’s not represented, it’s not celebrated. So I was about 18 when I started yo-yo dieting. From there, I spiraled downward and lost 30 kilograms [66 pounds] in a short amount of time. I was eating about 800 calories a day. I was so obsessed and needed to be in constant calorie deficit, needed to constantly exercise and eat only protein and green vegetables. I would not touch any form of carbohydrates, not even potatoes. Then I went to a couple of doctors who helped me a lot, and I’m living my best life now. I’m not really worried what other people think of me.”

I can’t even believe I’m saying this. I am the 2018 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover model. I can’t wait for everyone to see it. I’m emotional, but I just want to say thank you to everyone who believed in me. I put in so much work for this and I’m feeling very accomplished, happy and excited.